Coaster brake



May 30, 1933- A. J. MUSSELMAN COASTER BRAKE Filed Nov. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4% J m J u! a III/1Z7 a5 86 Wr M/aIu MI y 0, 1933. A. J. MUSSELMAN 1,911,461

I COASTER BRAKE Filed Nov. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dim/-1 Patented May 30, 1933 entree res PATENT ()FFIC ALVIN a. MUSSELMAN, or CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO COASTER BRAKE Application filed November 5, 1930. Serial No. 493,654.

My invention relates to improvements in pansible split spring sleeve adapted to fit coaster brakes of the type in which the lnside the hub and to be expanded against braking effect is produced by expanding a I the inner surfaces of the latter for producing split spring sleeve against the inner surface the braking action; Fig. 11, a similar view of a hub, as shown and described in my of the wedge for spreading the sleeve of patent, No. 860,234. "Flg. and Fig. 12-is an end View of the My invention relates particularly to the spring-band shown in Fig. 7. construction of the split spring sleeve which A is the rear axle of a bicycle or motoris located on the axle inside the hub of the cycle, having its bearings, as usual, in the 0 wheel members of the rearfork B, in which it is 60 The primary object of the invention is to non-rotatably supported. 1 Upon one threadsecure a self-actuating braking action. Aned end 13 of the axle is screwed a ball-race other object is to provide the brake with a collar 14 provided on its outer face with a, spring sleeve which will be more durable ratchet 15, between which anda nut 16,

15 than the spring sleeve described in the screwed on the end of the axle against a 65 above-mentioned patent. v washer 17,. is clamped the adjacent member The invention is illustrated in a preferred of the fork B. By thus clamping this fork embodiment in the accompanying drawings, member, engagement of its inner surface in hi hwith the teeth of the ratchet 15 is produced, Figure 1 shows my improved coaster thereby providing a simple and effective brake, mounted in its bearings, by a plan means for securing the braking mechanism sectional view, with the braking mechanism against rotation. The collar 14 is provided inside the cylindrical hub in elevation; Fig. 011 its inner face with a lug 18, to enter a 2 is a similar view showing the hub and the corresponding recess 19 in the adjacent end 25 braking mechanism co-operating with it, as of a split spring-sleeve 20 surrounding the well as other parts, in section, the parts in axle about the spool thereon, hereinafter this figure, as well as those in the preceding described, and abutting against the collar. figure, being shown in the relative positions The split 21 in the spring-sleeve is wedgethey occupy for coasting; Fig. 3 .is a view shaped to receive a Wedge 22 for expanding 0 in side elevation of a ball-race ratcheted the sleeve, as and for the purpose hereinafter interlocking collar; Fig. 4, an inner face described. The spool 23, which fits loosely View of the same; Fig. 5 is an end view of about the axle inside the sleeve 20, is proa ratcheted spool adapted to loosely sur- Vided in its head 23 with a recess 24 to rea round the stationary. rear shaft and to be ceive the lug 18, which also enters the sleeveheld against rotation by engagement with recess 19, to hold the spool against rotation the aforesaid collar, while having a limited while permitting to it a limited longitudinal longitudinal movement; Fig. 6, a view of movement. The opposite head 23 of the the same in side elevation; Fig. 7 a view in spool is faced with a ratchet 25 of greater elevation of a spring band to surround the diameter than the head on which it is proratcheted end of the spool upon which it is. vided; and this ratchet is surrounded by a fastened; Fig. 8 .-is a view in. broken secspring-band 26 pinned to the spool, as inditional elevation of the externally tapering cated at m (Fig. 2), and protruding, as an and internally threaded ratchet-faced 00113.1 annular, spring, beyond the face on this for binding the hub to the sprocket for the r tchet. 4 driving purpose of the device; Fig. 9 is a The prefdrred construction ofthe ring 26 view in side elevat' on of the driving-sprocket for the rear wheel, provided with" an externally threaded hub to enter and co-operate with the collar shown inFig. 8; Fig. 10 is a view in, elevation of the improved exthat illustrated, of an endless band having a series of arc-shaped spring-tongues 26* extending about its outer section, and formed by cutting the band at intervals transversely and extending each transverse cut from 1 of ordinary or any suitable construction? From the inner face of the sprocket exten s a hub 31 carrying coarse screw-threads 32, this hub screwing into the collar 27 about the axle, adjacent to tliethreaded end 13 thereof at which it is fastened by a nut 16 to the other member of the fork B. A ballrace is provided, as shown, about the inner face of the sprocket 30, like that formed about the collar 14, to afford ball-bearings for the ends of the wheel-hub 33, which houses the ball-bearings at its ends and en- 25 velops the intermediate mechanism described. Where the wheel-hub, near its end adjacent to the sprocket, surrounds the tapering collar 27, it is provided about its internal surface with an outwardly taper- 80 ing section 34, in which the collar 27 works,

as and for the purpose hereinafter described.

The operation of the device is as follows: As the parts of the mechanism are repre- 35 sented in Figs. 1 and 2, they occupy, as hereinbefore stated, their relative positions for coasting. That is to say, the hub 33 is free to rotate on its ball-bearings without turning any of the mechanism inside it, since the collar 27 is out of contact with the tapering surface 34 in the wheel-hub, and the ratchets '28 and are out of engagement with each other. The act of pedaling, by turning the sprocket and thus rotating the thread 32 on the hub 31, b the initial slight portion of a turn of t e sprocket, into the collar 27, without, however, exerting sufficient force by the screwing action to overcome the retaining pressure of the spring 26 and thus rotate the collar 27; so that the screwing of the hub 31 into the adjacent collar 27 draws the latter toward the sprocket, with the effect of engaging the outer tapering surface. of the collar with the tapering surface 34 within the wheelhub 33, which results, by the ensuing clutchaction, in binding the wheel-hub to the collar 27 and thus to the hub of the sprocket,

whereby the pedaling, in turning the sprocketalso turns the wheel-hub and with it the rear wheel. The braking operation is performed by back-pedaling, which involves reversal of the sprocket 30 and resultant turning of the threads of the sprocket-hub the wheel in the forward direction, screws 31 in the direction to force the collar '27 movement thereof, against t e ratchetedv end of the spool, forces the latter against the wedge 22, which is thus driven into the split 21 of the sleeve 20 sufiiciently'far to expand the sleeve with great force against the surface surrounding it of the wheel-hub, V

thus locking the latter to .the stationary axle A, since the split sleeve and spool are locked, against rotary movement about the axle, to the ball-race collar 14 by the lug 18, and the ball-race collar is itself screwed, and thus rigid, upon the axle. As will be understood, when, in pedaling, the rider sto s turning the pedals and therefore stops t e sprocket, the momentum of the rear wheel in carrying the hub 33 and the collar 27 engaging with it, through a ver small portion of a complete rotation of t e wheel-hub causes the collar 27 to turn on the threaded hub of the sprocket in the direction to withdraw the collar from engagement with the beveled surface 34 in the wheel-hub; and, obviously, the moment that disengagement is effected between the beveled binding-surfaces, the wheel-hub is free to rotate inde: pendently for coasting. I

Wh'le the braking mechanism disclosed in Patent No. 860,234 has proven to be efiective, a self-actuating braking effect has been obtained by placing the notch adapted to retain the lug 18 at the apex of the split 21 in the sleeve 20. "By means of this arrangement, the entire external surface of the sleeve 20 comes in intimate contact with the surface of the wheel-hub vwhile in the mechanism shown in the above-mentioned patent, only the upper surface of the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 10, performed the braking action. As a result, the upper surface of the sleeve wore out much faster than the lower surface, necessitating replacements of the sleeve. Another advantage of my improvement is that the improved sleeve is stronger and more durable and less apt to split in its back portion, which receives the greatest strain when the braking operation is performed, since the back section in my improved sleeve is solid.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a coaster brake of the type set forth,

means of interlocking a brake sleeve, a spool, and a ball-race collar, consisting of a stationary axle, said ball-race collar being rigidly ing sleeve surrounding said spool and split to form a wedge-shaped opening in its wall, and a recess at the apex of said wedge-shaped opening to retain said lug, thereb serving as the sole means of preventing t e rotation of said braking sleeve.

2. In combination, a coaster brake having a stationary threaded axle and a sprocket, a wheel-hub rotatabl surrounding the axle, a rigid ball-race col ar screwed on said axle and provided with a lug, a ratchet on the outer face of said ball-race collar, a

brake sleeve surrounding said axle provided with a wedge-shaped opening'in its wall, whereby the entire external surface of said sleeve acts as a self-actuating brakin surface, a notch at the apex of the wedge-s aped opening to retain said lug, a wedge for expanding said sleeve, means for driving the wedge, bearings for the axle ends, and a nut on an end of the axle between which and said ratchet the adjacent bearing is clamped. H

3. A coaster brake comprising, in combination, a stationary axle having at one end a rigid ball-race collar provided with a lug and on its opposite end a sprocket rotatably mounted and provided with an externally threaded hub and a ball-race, a spool loosely surrounding said axle and provided with a notch to retain said lug, a sleeve surrounding said spool in which the entire external surface acts as a self-actuating braking surface, a wedge-shaped opening in said sleeve, a notch at the apex of said opening adapted to retain the lug mounted on the ball race collar, thereby serving as the sole means of preventing rotation of said sleeve, a wedge confined in said opening and engaged by the ratcheted end of said spool, a spring band on and projecting beyond said spoolend, an internally threaded collar in which said threaded sprocket hub works, over-lapped by said spring-band and provided with a ratchet face and a tapering circumferential surface, and a wheel-hub rotatable at its ends on ball-bearings in said races and provided with an internal tapering section to co-operate with said tapering collar for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof,

my hand, this 31st day of October, 1930.

ALVIN J. MUSSELMAN. V

I have hereunto set, 

